Batting

Waltham, Mass. (May 4) -- Rallying for a three-run seventh to regain the lead for good, the Assumption College baseball team wrapped up the 2014 season with an 8-7 divisional win over Bentley University on Sunday afternoon. Assumption took two of three games from the Falcons in the three-game series that began on Friday as the Hounds won five of their last seven to close the schedule.

Assumption jumped out to another early lead with a four-run top of the first on Sunday. Junior Greg O'Donnell (Northbridge, Mass./Northbridge) got things going with an RBI double to left center to score senior Ysander Figueroa (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Tech), followed by a two-RBI double to left by senior captain Michael Smith (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) for the 3-0 edge. Sophomore catcher Tom Paine (Upton, Mass./Nipmuc) registered his first of two hits on the day with an RBI single to center for a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.

Bentley got two back in the bottom of the frame with an RBI triple to left by second baseman Burton Deady and a run scoring off a muffed throw later in the inning. Each team scored an unearned run in the second, including a second run by Figueroa off of Bentley reliever Will Alden as he came on to start the second inning.

The Falcons took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth with a four-hit inning, including a single to center by Sean Keady that loaded the bases with no outs. Keady eventually finished the game 5-for-6 with two runs scored. Bentley put together three straight RBI hits, along with an RBI sacrifice fly, for a 6-5 edge heading to the fifth.

Junior Zack LaRosa (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) came into the game in relief for Assumption to start the bottom of the fifth and gave up one run on an RBI single thru the right side by Keady to score first baseman Justin Ashworth. Ashworth reached on a fielding error with two outs earlier in the frame. Sophomore Anthony Perry (Shrewsbury, Mass./Saint John's) started the game for the Hounds, going four innings and allowing five runs on 11 hits with one strikeout.

Assumption had another late rally in store for the Falcons as the Hounds regained the lead at 8-7 in the top of the seventh. After an RBI single to left center by freshman first baseman Mike Coggeshall (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) scored junior Billy Johnson (Auburn, Mass./Holy Name), an RBI groundout by Smith scored O'Donnell to tie the game at 7-7.

The run chased Alden from the game as Jack Burke came on for Bentley to face Paine, who singled up the middle to score Coggeshall with the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.

LaRosa picked up the win with two innings of relief as he finished the season with a 3-2 record. Figueroa moved in from right field to pitch the ninth for the Hounds, giving up just one hit to earn his team-best seventh save of the season.

Alden took the loss for Bentley in 5.2 innings of relief as he allowed six hits and four runs, including three earned, to drop to 2-3 with the loss. Figueroa led the Hounds with three hits, along with two each by Paine and senior Bret Clark (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Central). Smith led Assumption with three runs batted in and one run, while Paine added two RBI and Figueroa scored a pair of runs.

All three games in the series with Bentley were decided by just one run as Assumption finished 2014 with 13 one-run games, including four straight to end the season.

Assumption ends the season at 19-20 overall and 10-11 in the division under first-year head coach Mike Rocco, while Bentley drops to 22-16 overall and 13-7 in divisional play.

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